Rope-clamp.



. PATENTED AUG. 4, 190,87!

' B. BRAZELLE.

ROPE CLAMP; APPLICATION rmm APR. 6, 1901.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. P

BENJAMIN BRAZELLE, OF KIRKWOOD, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO A. LESCHEN 8: SONS ROPE COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

ROPE-CLAMP. v I

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BRAZELLE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Kirkwood, county of St. Louis, and State of Missouri, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Rope-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

Rope clamps of the kind commonly used have a tendency to flatten the rope transversely and to squeeze the side portions thereof outwardly 1n the space between the clamping jaws. The effect is to strain and even to break the fibers or strands at the points of greatest displacement. This re sult is most likely to develop and is most ob jectionable with long wire ropes used in pumping or drilling deep wells.

My invention relates to rope clamps and has for its principal object to overcome the tendency to strain or break the outer fibers or strands of the rope and to secure other advantages hereinafter more fully appearing.

The invention consists principally in providin a substantially continuous lateral support For the rope along the meeting portions of the jaws.

It also consists inproviding the jaws with staggered projecting portions arranged to overlap each other so as to constitute side supports for the rope.

It also consists in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms part of this specification, and wherein like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur, Figure 1 is an edge view of my rope clamp; Fig. 2 is a side view thereof; and, Fig. 3 is a transveise section thereof on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

My clamp comprises two counterpart nembeis each of which comprises a clampprojection is opposite a depression.

The endmost portions 5 of the lateral extensions are turned toward each other to space the members apart and to serve as a fulcrum for the leverage action when the crew bolts 6 force the members together.

"She bolts or headed screws 6 extend through Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. April 6, 1907. Serial No. 366,691.

Patented Aug. 4, 1908.

holes provided therefor in one member and work in threaded holes .provided therefor in the other member. The members are also provided near their upper ends with transverse holes adapted to receive rope shackles.

The operation of the device is as follows:

The screw bolts 6 are loosened and the rope is inserted edgewise between the jaws so as to rest in the grooves provided therefor in the jaws. The bolts are then tightened to clamp the jaws on the rope. In this operation, the projections on the respective jaws overlap each other and fit looselyin the opposite depressions and thereby furnish a lateral support for the rope and prevent the undue spreading thereof outside of the longitudinal groove in the space between the jaws. By

this arrangement, the overlapping projcctions furnish a substantially continuous lateral support for the rope peripherally as well as longitudinally, and the stresses, which in the old construction were concentrated on the outer fibers or wires along the meeting edges of the jaws, are distributed in the present construction more or less radially throughout the entire cirei'lmference of the rope. Consequently, the tendency of my clamp is to reduce the diameter of the rope by subjecting all portions thereof to com paratively uniform pressure, and the tendency to tear the outer fibers or strands is minimized.

Obviously, my device admits of considerable modification without departing from my invention, and I do not wish to be limited otherwise than as specified in the appended claims tothe particular construction shown and described.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A r0 )0 clamp comprising two members, each mom or having a longitudinally grooved jaw and a lateral extension, and means for clamping said members together, each of said jaws-having a series of transverse projections along the margins of the groove arranged to fit loosely between the projections on the other jaw to form a substantially continuous lateral support for the rope.

2. A rope clamp comprising two members, each member having a aw and a lateral extension, and means for clamping said members together, each of said jaws hai'ing a longitudinal groove conforming to the shape of the rope and a series of transverse project-ions along the margins of said groove, the

rojections on one jaw being arranged to fit ooscly between the projections on the other jaw and thereby fllllll:.l1 a substantially 5 continuous lateral supportfor the rope, said clamping means comprising screw bolts extending transversely through such lateral extensions close to said jaws.

3. A rope clamp comprising two members,

" 1 eacl1,1ne1uber being arranged for engagement with a rope shackle and having a jaw and a lateral inturned extension, and means for clamping said members together, each of said jaws having a longitudinal groove 5 of substantially semicircular section and a series of transverse projections along 

